ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
Mohammad Jamal Tabbara, Senior Systems
Engineer – UAE at Infoblox.
have an understanding of IoT, many are
unclear of the exact definition of IoT and
what it means for their business.
In his ebook, Making Sense of IoT,
commissioned by Aruba, technology
visionary Kevin Ashton, who actually
coined the term ‘Internet of Things’,
presents the following definition:
“The Internet of Things means sensors
connected to the Internet and behaving
in an Internet-like way by making open,
ad hoc connections, sharing data freely
and allowing unexpected applications,
so computers can understand the world
around them and become humanity’s
nervous system”.
The expectations dividend
When examining the business benefits
of IoT, Ashton discovered that the real-
world benefits gained from IoT exceeded
even the original expectations. This
‘expectations dividend’ is evident in two
key performance areas: business efficiency
and profitability.
As an example, only 16 per cent of
business leaders projected a large profit
gain from their IoT investment, yet
post-adoption, 32 per cent of executives
realised profit increases. Similarly,
only 29 per cent of executives expected
their IoT strategies to result in business
16
This is also
a massive
opportunity for
distributors . . .
by bringing the
right vendors
to the right
partners for the
right clients.
Mohammad Jamal Tabbara,
Senior Systems Engineer –
UAE at Infoblox
efficiency improvements, whereas actual
results show that 46 per cent experienced
efficiency gains.
Ammar Enaya, Regional Director
– Middle East and Turkey at Aruba
said: “With the business benefits of IoT
surpassing expectations, it’s no surprise
that the business world will move towards
mass adoption by 2019. But with many
executives unsure of how to apply IoT
to their business, those who succeed in
implementing IoT are well positioned to
gain a competitive advantage.”
And the channel is no exception; it’s
well positioned to take full advantage of
emerging opportunities. According to
Shadi Salama, Channel Leader – Middle
East Theatre, Cisco, most opportunities
for partners lie in vertical skills and
integration, such as safety and security,
healthcare, transportation, and oil and
gas. Mohammad Jamal Tabbara agrees,
adding to the mix most things ‘smart’,
including farming, agriculture, geology and
astronomy. In other words, IoT touches
a vast number of verticals and industries
and it is expected to touch further areas of
which we have not yet conceived.
“For the channel to succeed in the
business around IoT,” Shadi Salama
continued, “it is important that:
• Partners and their solutions get
more visibility: By developing a
vast array of market-leading solutions
spanning hardware, software and
services, vendors can enable their
solution partners to get access to
channels where the solutions can be
integrated and taken to market to
enable differentiation.
• Partners are enabled to deliver
business outcomes: Partners can use
new solutions to reach a broader set of
customers and increase their relevance
beyond IT. They can strengthen their
role as trusted advisers and capitalise
on new market opportunities with
horizontal/vertical solutions and services
resulting in higher revenues and profits.
• Connect: Partners must connect with
each other so that they can create a
repository of solutions that enable
improved business outcomes for the
enterprise across applications, products
and services.
Those who
succeed in
implementing
IoT are well
positioned
to gain a
competitive
advantage.
Ammar Enaya, Regional
Director – Middle East and
Turkey at Aruba
Issue 06
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS